Her Protector
by lizpen
Summary: Jason is trying to stay away from Elizabeth for her own protection during the mob war. But, how will that backfire on him as her life falls apart, as another man turns up, waiting to destroy him?
1. Chapter 1

Please review! I love to know what people think.

Elizabeth smiled at Georgie as she ordered a coffee, missing the special blends at Sonny's coffeehouse. Sipping the hot brew, she tried to relax, to let the frustration of her continual fighting with Lucky ease away.

Moments later, she frowned, digging through her purse desperately for cash. Where was her wallet?

"Why don't you let me buy that for you?" A deep voice asked, and she spun around to find a dark haired man behind her, dressed in a business suit.

"Oh, no thank you." She gave him a distracted smile, searching for change.

"Really, I insist." He smiled at her, "My name's Johnny."

With a sigh, she set her purse down, unwillingly intrigued by this man with the edgy, dangerous smile. "Elizabeth. And thank you. I know I put my wallet in here."

He nodded to Georgie, tossing a bill onto the counter. "So, what do you do, Elizabeth?"

"I'm a nurse at the hospital." She couldn't help but smile at him, tucking a dark curl behind her ear.

"Really?" He leaned against the counter, "I can see you as the angel of mercy."

Elizabeth flushed, enjoying his flirtatious tone. She was about to answer, when her cell phone rang, and she looked quickly at the number, realizing it was Grams. "I'm sorry, I have to go." She looked at him, with a quick smile. "Thank you for the coffee, Johnny."

"Anytime." Johnny watched her walk away. "Anytime, Elizabeth Spencer," He repeated quietly, fingering her green wallet in his pocket.

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Sonny slammed his hand against his desk, furious. "We get rid of him, now."

"We wait," Jason argued. "Getting rid of Trevor Lansing at this point does us no good. We need him to find out what Zacchara is up to."

"And in the meantime, he's finding out all of our weaknesses. I'm not waiting for Jerry Jacks to try to dig up information. He's probably working with him."

Jason angrily ran his hand through his hair, frustrated. "Trevor didn't kill Leticia. He's our best chance to keep an eye on who else Zacchara has in Port Charles."

"I want him dead," Sonny yelled. "You may not have a family he could destroy, but I do."

His jaw clenched, Jason spoke quietly. "You know I'm worried about Carly and the boys. But, you're not thinking about the fact that he'll lead us to who we need. I'm not getting rid of him, yet." Turning, he opened the door. "We wait."

Sonny swept his hand across his desk, pictures flying, as he struggled to control his anger.

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Lucky closed the door to Sam's apartment, taking a deep breath. A part of him felt terrible for sleeping with Sam. And yet, there was another part of him that felt Elizabeth deserved it.

His phone rang, and Cruz told him of a problem at the docks. "I'm on my way," Lucky responded, hoping that Jason would be there, that he could finally arrest him.

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Trevor opened the door to Johnny at the MetroCourt, raising his eyebrows as the younger man strode in.

"How have you progressed with the Corinthos organization?" Johnny asked, settling back comfortably on the sofa.

"Very well. The death of their nanny left them all shaken. Corinthos has sent his family out of town."

Johnny smiled coldly. "Wonderful."

"Did you just arrive?"

"No." Johnny pulled out a green wallet, opening it thoughfully. "I stopped and met Elizabeth Spencer."

Trevor looked at him, puzzled. "Elizabeth Spencer?"

"Oh, yes." He looked up at Trevor. "You must be getting old, Trevor. Corinthos' enforcer has quite a lot of people in Port Charles that he cares about. Starting with the beautiful Nurse Elizabeth."

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Max leaned against the desk at the MetroCourt, speaking quietly into the phone. "Lansing just opened the door to some guy. Young, with dark hair. He's dressed in a suit."

"Stay nearby, and keep an eye on him." Jason said, snapping the phone shut, looking out the penthouse window as he wondered what their next move would be.

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Trevor leaned back in the chair, enjoying the quiet music and brandy. Now that Johnny Zacchara had arrived, things would begin to happen quickly. He allowed himself a tight smile. Soon, Sonny would get what he had deserved for so long.

There was a knock at the door, and he ordered, "Come in."

Sam stepped in, dressed in a figure hugging minidress that showed off her cleavage. "Mr. Lansing," she said with a sexy smile.

"Samantha McCall." He set his drink down, smirking. "Do you have any good information for me?"

"I do." She shook her dark hair back. "Apparently, the cops are watching the docks carefully. They think that Sonny has a shipment coming through tomorrow night."

"Really?" He pulled her onto his lap. "Revenge is sweet, isn't it, my dear?"

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Elizabeth read through the chart, bumping into someone as she turned the corner. "Oh! I'm so sorry!" Flustered, she looked up, surprised to see the man from Kelly's.

"That's okay." He smiled at her, then leaned down, helping her to collect the files that had fallen. "So, you weren't kidding. You really are an Angel of Mercy."

Laughing, she shook her head, chestnut curls bouncing. "Not really. Just another overworked nurse."

"Mmmm. Poor you." He handed her the files, straightening up. "Maybe we should get you another coffee."

"Oh, listen, I'm- I'm married."

"Well, that's a shame." He brushed a hand over her curl, smiling as she flushed. "Your husband is very lucky."

Elizabeth looked away, unable to lie and pretend her marriage was wonderful.

"Well, Nurse Elizabeth," he told her with a smile, "I hope I see you around sometime soon." He walked away, then turned back to say, "Who knows, soon maybe I'll need an Angel of my own."

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Jason leaned over Spinelli's shoulder, frowning at the frozen image on the laptop. "I've never seen him before."

Spinelli quietly said, "Perhaps he's not another of the minion of evildoers."

"No." Jason hit play, watched the man stride confidently towards Lansing's room, "He's someone to worry about." Jason turned away, pacing the room. He was more aware than anyone of the damage that could be done if Zacchara's men took control.

He rubbed his hand over his forehead, allowing himself to think only briefly of Elizabeth, of the boys. That if he had brought them into his life, they would have been in tremendous danger. He sighed, turning back towards the computer. He had chosen to keep them out of his life, to keep them safe.

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Sonny walked through the docks, checking the shipment. The cops would be awaiting a shipment on the other side of the docks, not knowing they were in the wrong area. He opened a box, checking the contents as Milo opened the one next to it. The sound of quiet voices buzzed through the room, as men checked the contents, sealing the boxes back up to be shipped on to their final location.

"They look good." He turned to Milo, "Let's get going."

They walked towards the entrance, Sonny lost in thought, when suddenly a shot rang out. Screams and yells echoed in the warehouse as Milo clutched at his chest, falling to his knees next to Sonny, before collapsing, blood quickly making a pool on the ground.

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Several hours later, Jason stood beside Sonny, staring down at the body of the young man. Max kneeling next to his brother, crying. The warehouse had been emptied, and the sound of the police cars could be heard in the distance.

"He was a good kid," Sonny said quietly. The pain and the fury in his voice were evident. "We find who did this. We find the son of a Btch."

Jason nodded, clasping Max's shoulder in silent sympathy, his jaw clenched. He had men scouring Port Charles, trying to trace down the man who visited Trevor Lansing, looking for anyone new in town.

Both men turned as the doors opened, as Mac and Lucky entered the empty warehouse.

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Johnny entered the quiet apartment, smiling as he saw the man sitting in the dark. "Is it done?"

"It's done, boss. We took out his guard right next to him."

"Perfect. And you got rid of the weapon?"

"Yes. In the bottom of the harbor."

Johnny shrugged out of his coat, voice cold. "My father would be pleased, Smith, as am I."

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Emily frowned as she opened the door to the Spencer home, seeing Elizabeth folding laundry in the quiet living room. "Where's Lucky?"

"He's out, as usual." Elizabeth set Cam's shirt in the basket, looking up at her best friend.

"Oh, Elizabeth." Emily sat down on the sofa next to her. "How much longer can this go on?"

She shrugged, avoiding Emily's gaze. "We're trying to manage for the boys."

"And what about you?" She waited until Elizabeth looked at her. "I know both you and Jason are trying to stay away from each other, but how much longer can you put yourself through this?"

"I can't be with Jason." She laughed mirthlessly, "Especially now. I couldn't let my boys be put in that kind of danger."

"So, you stay with Lucky?"

"He's the only father they know," Elizabeth said quietly.

Emily sighed, feeling horrible for her brother, for Elizabeth, and even for Lucky. He was destroying his marriage out of jealousy to a man who'd given up his own happiness, to protect Elizabeth and her sons.

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The next day, Lucky rolled away from Sam, his hair tousled, muscles rippling as he reached for his watch on the end table. "I should go," he groaned, instead laying back on the pillows as Sam snuggled up next to him.

"Stay, just for a little bit," she told him, smirking.

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Elizabeth frowned at the message on her phone. It had been Sam, asking her to stop by her apartment. "I want to apologize," she'd said. "I shouldn't have taken my anger with Jason out on you, shouldn't have tried to hurt you with Lucky."

She grabbed her coat, deciding to drop the boys at Gram's on the way to Sam's.

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Trevor called Johnny, "It should be today."

Looking out the window, Johnny smiled. "Perfect. What's the address?"

Moments later, he set down the phone, reaching for his coat. It was time to comfort a hurting angel.

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Sam gave Lucky a kiss, "I'll be right back." She stepped out into the living room, opening the door a bit as she tightened her robe, then grabbing a bottled water and returning to the bedroom. She snuggled in with Lucky, leaning forward to kiss him as his arms went around her.

Elizabeth frowned at the open door to Sam's apartment. "Sam?" she called, gently pushing open the door. "Sam?"

She stepped towards the partially open door of the hall, stiffening as she heard the sounds from within. A sense of inevitability filled her as she pushed open the door, knowing what she would find.

Lucky was leaning over Sam, his bare back glistening as he kissed Sam, her arms wrapped around him.

Sam looked up, the triumph in her gaze clear as her eyes met Elizabeth's. Elizabeth looked at her a moment more, expressionless, before silently turning and walking away.

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Johnny watched as the door to Samantha McCall's apartment house burst open, Elizabeth rushing out, leaning against the wall, her expressionless mask changing to a look of immense pain, as she slid down the bricks to kneel with her arms wrapped around herself, tears sliding down her face. He was surprised to feel respect, sadness for her mingle within him. The way she had carried herself out of the building before allowing herself to feel the hurt, the obvious knowledge that the marriage she was holding onto by a thread stirred him.

He watched her for a moment more, than took a deep breath, crossing the street, and stopping in front of her. "Are you okay?" He asked her quietly.

She sniffed, brushing away the tears with the back of her hands. "I'm- I'm fine."

He knelt next to her, placing a hand on her shoulder. "I think you owe me a coffee," he said, and she looked up at him in surprise. "Come on," he said, helping her to her feet. "Let's get out of here."

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They walked through the park, sipping their coffees. "Do you want to talk about it?"

She said nothing for a moment, her voice quiet when she finally spoke. "My husband and I- we've had a lot of problems. And he- recently he found out something I'd done, and he couldn't forgive me."

"What did you do?"

"I-I can't believe I'm telling you this." She sighed. It felt so good to talk to someone who didn't know Lucky, who wasn't trying to tell her what she should do. "I thought our marriage was over, I slept with another man. And then, Lucky told me he was going in rehab, and I was so scared he'd go back on drugs, so I never told him."

"But he found out?" Johnny prompted.

"Yes. And he couldn't forgive me." She looked up at him, " I found him in bed with the woman who hates me."

Johnny nodded. "And the man you slept with? Was he important to you?"

"He was- was a good friend." She looked away, yearning as she thought of Jason, of the way he would be holding her if he were with her, comforting her.

"Was?"

"We're not friends anymore."

Johnny saw the look of longing in her face, and frowned. She may not be friends with Jason Morgan anymore, but she was still in love with him.

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Johnny walked Elizabeth back to the Spencer house, raising his eyebrows as he realized who was standing on her porch.

Emily turned, looking worried as she saw Elizabeth's pale face. "Are you okay, Elizabeth?"

"I'm okay." Seeing Emily look at Johnny questioningly, she said, "Emily, this is Johnny Mitchell."

"You're Emily?" He said with a smile, holding out his hand. "I've been hearing some great things about you."

Looking bemused, Emily smiled at him. "Thank you." She shook his hand, wondering what was going on.

He smiled at Elizabeth, squeezing her shoulder gently. "Looks like you'll be in good hands."

"Thank you for all your help." She smiled up at him, and he felt something within him stir unwillingly.

"Anytime."

Emily and Elizabeth watched him walk away, and Emily asked her quietly, "What's going on, Elizabeth?"

She turned to her best friend, Jason's sister, and told her, "I found Lucky in bed with Sam."

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Johnny swirled his drink, speaking on the phone. "It went well. It's obvious that she's still in love with him, and sources say he feels the same."

He listened for a moment, then responded, "I met his sister as well. Very pretty."

"So, are we ready to use her?" the person on the other end asked.

"No. No, I want her isolated, depending more and more on me. Morgan is trying to stay away from her, and she and her husband are done. I want Morgan to feel his failure."

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Elizabeth packed the last of the clothes she was taking with her. Emily had already helped her move the kids toys, and most of their clothes. She was finishing the rest alone, knowing that, despite Emily's offer, this was something she had to do alone.

She looked up as Lucky let himself into the house, wondering if Sam had told him she'd seen them. It was obvious she hadn't, when he frowned down at her. "Where are the boys?"

"At Grams." She folded the last shirt, shutting the lid.

"What are you doing?" He looked at the large laundry basket, filled with clothes for her and the boys.

"I'm leaving you. I won't do this anymore. To myself, or my sons."

"Do what?" He came down the stairs, standing in front of her.

"Stay in a marriage where my husband is sleeping with another woman for revenge." A flash of awareness crossed his face, a quick look of shame.

"Is it worse than what you did with Jason?" He asked coldly, anger building within him past the shame.

"How can you ask that?" She cried. "I slept with him one night. One night after I found you with another woman. After you did drugs, and lied. One night, Lucky! And I have begged for your forgiveness, I have done everything I could to make this marriage work."

"So what now? You go sleep with Jason? That's just the excuse you've been waiting for, isn't it? You can't wait to crawl back into his bed."

"No. Now I make a life for myself and my boys. You and Sam enjoy yourselves."

She grabbed the basket, moving towards the door. Stunned when he grabbed her arm, spinning her around. "You're not taking my kids. You're not fit to be their mother. I won't have them grow up with a criminal."

She wrenched away from him. "If you mean Jason, I meant what I said about staying away from him. And don't you dare," she hissed, "Even try to take my sons from me." She tightened her hold on the basket, hurrying out the door.

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Jason opened the door to his penthouse, surprised to find Emily pacing back and forth in front of the fireplace. "What's wrong?"

She spun arounds to face him. "Elizabeth found Sam and Lucky in bed together." Seeing his lack of surprise, she grimaced. "You knew?"

He sighed, running his hands through his dark golden hair. "I knew she was trying to seduce him. I didn't think it would take long." He paused, then asked, "What's she going to do?"

"She's leaving him. I helped her move most of their stuff this afternoon." She looked at him beesechingly. "Jase, she loves you. Can't you-"

"No." His tone was sharp, pain slicing through him at the thought of what his life could have been like. "Don't, Emily. She and the boys wouldn't be safe. Especially now. I can't take that risk."

"But she's hurting Jason. And I know what she needs is you."

"It can't happen, Emily." He turned away from her, his face bleak. "Tell her I'm sorry. That I wish I could be there for her."

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Sonny paced his office, desperate to find answers. His childrens' nanny, his bodyguard, had been killed, and there was no guarantee that anyone around him was safe. It was obvious that Zacchara and his men were planning to destroy Sonny, and at the moment, there was virtually nothing he could do.

Jason stormed in, the anger on his face obvious.

"What's wrong?"

"Elizabeth found Sam and Lucky in bed." Jason reached for a bottled water, trying to calm down.

Sonny frowned, "Sam? We knew she was a loose cannon."

Jason nodded. "More than we thought."

"What do you mean?"

Jason turned back to him. "The surveillance on Trevor Lansing? Sam's been going to visit him at his apartment."

"What?" Sonny's eyes narrowed, realizing the damage Sam could be doing in her quest for revenge against Jason.


	2. Chapter 2

Please review! I love to know what people think.

**"Are we ready to move on to the next step?" Almost." Johnny frowned, looking at Trevor. "Who's this kid who's been snooping around? Someone had a video of me going into your room. Oh, the computer nerd? Weird kid. He's the one that lives with Morgan. Get rid of him. Not a problem. Are you ready to move forward against Elizabeth Spencer? No." Johnny's voice was sharp. "No one touches her. I'm working on that. "And the sister?" Not at this point. Just make sure she's kept busy with other things." **

Several days later, Jason strode towards the bridge, slowing as he realized Elizabeth stood there, her chestnut curls blowing in the cold wind. She turned, looking surprised.

"Jason." "Elizabeth. How are you? "I'm doing allright. The boys are confused, but I-" "I wish things could be different. I wish I could promise to keep you and the boys safe." Me too." She wiped her eyes with the tips of her fingers, tipping her head to the side as she quietly implored him, "Please be careful. I can't bear the thought of – of anything happening to you. "Elizabeth-" "I have to go," ' 

Lucky stood near the fireplace at the Spencer home, missing the sound of Cameron running around the house, of Jake babbling cheerfully. His fury overwhelmed him, and he slammed his hand against the top of the fireplace, barely wincing at the pain. How could Elizabeth take his sons?

Sam stepped in, seeing Lucky staring angrily into the fire. "Hey," She said softly, stepping down towards him, "Are you allright?"

"I'm fine." He turned towards her, his voice gruff. "She has no right to take my sons away. I didn't do anything she didn't do with Jason."

Sam slid her arms around him, hugging him supportively. "Elizabeth is such a hippocryte. She and Jason have been sneaking around for months."

"I'm not going to let him near my sons." Lucky said fiercely. "If she wants to be with a criminal, fine. But she's not putting my sons around him."

Sam hid a smile as she nestled against his back, "You shouldn't have to. She's more interested in Jason, than she is in her children." She paused, then said, "Maybe you could talk to Alexis about custody."

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Jason leaned against the wall, gun ready as he listened to the soft footsteps nearby. He had been aware of the man following him, had ducked into an alley as he waited. Suddenly, the man stepped past him, and he swung into action, grabbing his collar and shoving him against the building. He held the gun up to his throat as he roughly asked, "Who do you work for?"

The man said nothing, tried to push against Jason, stopped as Jason pressed the gun further into his throat. "Who do you work for?" He asked again.

"Zacchara. He wanted me to give you a warning."

"And what was it?"

"You should have kept your little computer nerd out of this."

Jason felt a trickle of worry rush through him. They knew about Spinelli. "What is he planning?" At the silence, Jason punched him in the stomach, feeling no pity as the man doubled over in pain. "Answer me."

"He wanted the kid taken out." He grunted in pain as Jason punched him again. "I don't know if they did it yet."

"And what else? What else has he got planned?" He punched the man in the face, pitiless as he groaned, clutching his broken nose. "Tell me, now."

"I don't know. All I know is he's playing with an angel. That's all I've heard."

"He's in town?"

The man nodded, looking warily at Jason's gun. "The son. Johnny."

Jason's eyes narrowed, knowing the man in the video must have been Johnny Zacchara. But now, he had to try to find Spin. Taking his gun, he hit the man before him, knocking him unconscious.

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Spinelli grinned up at Georgie, toasting her with the glass or orange soda she'd just handed him. "To the Fair and Faithful Georgie!"

Georgie laughed, her face shining at Spinelli's attention. "You would like anyone who gave you orange soda."

"I dispute that, Oh Clever One. Only if the offerings included barbeque chips." He ripped open the offered bag, offering her a handful.

Georgie grinned, sitting next to him. She didn't know what it was about the quirky Spinelli that drew her to him, only knew that when she was with him, she felt as she hadn't in a long time. She looked at the rest of the moonlit patio area, glad that her shift was quiet tonight. "Spinelli, I-"

The sound of gunfire stopped Georgie, and Spinelli grabbed her, pulling her under the table, leaning over her. "Don't move. It's the- Arrgh!" He cried out, and she looked up to see blood pouring out of a hole in his shoulder.

"Oh My God!" She cried, barely noticing the sudden silence. "You're bleeding!"

The door to Kelly's opened, and Coop rushed out. "What the-" seeing Spinelli, he ran over, grabbing his cell phone to call in a shooting.

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Jason strode through the hospital, furious with himself for not insisting Spinelli had protection. The guard walking next to him had strict orders not to leave Spinelli's side. Jason would take no more chances with his safety.

He met Mac at the door to Spinelli's room, not surprised to see Mac arguing with his younger stepdaughter. "I don't want you to have anything else to do with this kid. He's tangled up with Sonny and Jason."

"I won't stop seeing him, Mac." Georgie, normally so sweet, was determined.

Seeing Jason, Mac frowned, turning towards him. "Jason."

"Mac. He's okay?"

"For a kid with a gunshot wound in his shoulder, he's fine."

Jason took a deep breath, knowing it was going to be a long night.

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Elizabeth stared out over Port Charles, clutching papers in her hands. Normally, the roof of the hospital calmed her, but today nothing could. How could he? She looked down at the papers, worry overwhelming her as she once again read the title of the papers, Petition for Full Custody.

The door opened quietly, and she looked up, startled to see Johnny quietly watching her. "Hey," He said quietly, walking towards her. "I just wanted to see how you were doing?"

"Well, Lucky is trying to take my children away." She looked up at him, angry tears in her eyes. "How could he do this?"

He pulled her against him into a hug, and after a moment she relaxed against him, desperately needing comfort, even if it wasn't the strong arms, the muscled chest she yearned for.

"You'll be fine" he told her quietly.

She sniffed, pulling back from him, "Thank you. I just- I just needed a friend."

"Anytime. I'm glad to be able to help." He raised his eyebrow, "Where's Emily?"

She shrugged, looking sad. "There was a problem with her fiancé, she had to leave."

"Well, I'm sure she would have liked to have been here." He paused, then asked quietly, "It must be hard for her, being engaged to your husband's brother. She must feel like she needs to take sides."

"I think she does." She looked at him, "I never meant for any of this to happen. It all went so wrong." Suddenly her beeper went off, and she frowned. "I have to get back. Thank you, you always seem to calm me down."

Johnny watched her leave, then leaned over the brick edge, thoughts of the task he'd set for himself warring with the feelings he seemed unable to rid himself of for the beautiful young nurse. He could easily see why Morgan was so in love with her.

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Sonny watched the tape, looking closely at the man exiting Trevor's suite. "This is a Zacchara's son?"

"Yeah." Jason leaned back against the desk. "Apparently, he's the one in charge of the day to day functions of the Zacchara organization."

"Hmmm." Sonny turned off the tape, looking at Jason. "Why is he staying out of sight? He's got-got Trevor here to do his dirty work."

"His man said all he knew was he was "playing with an angel." So, perhaps there's a woman here working with him?"

Sonny shrugged. "It could mean anything. Even the name of a shipment."

Frowning, Jason took a deep breath. "Somehow, it's important."

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Elizabeth pushed Cameron on the swing, closely watching Jake next to her. It was a beautiful fall day, and she had needed a break from her Grandmother's constant questions.

Johnny strolled up, pleased to see his man was right, that Elizabeth was alone in the park with her boys. Perfect.

"Wow. This must be Cameron and Jake."

She laughed, looking up. "It is. Cameron, this is Johnny."

The little boy gave him a shy smile. "Hi."

"Hey. He knelt down, gently pushing the swing as Cam laughed. "They're adorable." He told her.

"Thank you." She gestured to the picnic basket on the ground. "We were just about to have lunch. Would you like to join us?"

"Why not?"

Elizabeth spread out the blanket as Johnny continued to push Cameron, looking closely at Jake Spencer. The little boy's blue eyes looked just like those of Jason Morgan's, the alert expression almost a match to the ones in the pictures of his nemesis. Well, well. It looked like sweet Elizabeth had a few secrets of her own.

His phone rang, and he answered, making sure Elizabeth couldn't hear the other voice. "Lucky Spencer is on his way towards there, Sir."

Johnny's voice turned steely. "Take care of it." He hung up, raising his eyebrows towards Elizabeth as she looked at him, startled. "Everything okay?"

"It's fine," she assured him, realizing his voice sounded remarkably like Jason's, when he was ordering his men to deal with something problematic. Telling herself that she was hearing things, she handed him a drink.

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Lucky Spencer frowned, the two men standing in front of him in suits infuriating him. "Let me by."

"We can't do that, Mr. Spencer."

"Who do you think you are. I'll have you arrested for this!"

One of the men shrugged, his face implacable. "I doubt that."

Lucky turned to leave, stopping as one of the men told him, "You would be wise to drop your custody case, Mr. Spencer."

He spun back around. "What? You work for Jason, don't you? Tell him he can have my wife, but he won't get my sons."

The man looked at him steadily. "I don't know any Jason, Mr .Spencer. I'm just giving you some advice."

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Elizabeth looked towards the sound of distant yelling, and Johnny smoothly pulled his attention back to her. "He wore out fast." He told her, nodding towards Cameron.

She laughed. "If only Jake would. He's so like his father, always busy."

Johnny grinned, reaching down to hand Jake another toy as the little boy sprawled on his tummy. Jason Morgan's son. What would destroy him more than having both the woman he loved, and his only child taken?

He was in the perfect location. His men would make sure no one bothered them here, and it would be so easy to take them, to make them disappear. What better way to destroy Morgan than with the fact that his family disappeared, that in his efforts to protect them, he had left them unguarded, wrongly presuming that they would be safer without it appearing as though they were valuable to him?

And yet, Johnny didn't want to hurt her, found himself falling into his own trap. It would require additional planning, but it would be possible to destroy Jason Morgan without hurting Elizabeth and her sons. It would be enough for Morgan to think they were dead.

She laughed as Jake rolled over, and Johnny looked over, his gaze meeting hers. Slowly, he brushed back a chestnut curl, leaning forward to catch her lips in his.

Elizabeth pulled back, flushed. "I – I can't, Johnny. I'm sorry. But, I'm still in love with Jake's father."

He smiled wryly at her. "I know. And, I'm sorry. You've been clear all along that you think of me like a friend."

He helped her pack up, helping Cam to sit up as he awoke from his nap. As she settled Cam in the stroller, he smiled at her, "Friends?"

She smiled back at him, "Of course."

He laughed, grabbing his cell phone off the grass. "You're still my favorite Angel of Mercy, you know."

She couldn't help but laugh, the tension between them easing.

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On the way home, Cam asked what an angel was, and as she was explaining, Lucky strode up in front of her. "Tell Jason not to send his men after me again. Next time, I'll have them arrested."

"What are you talking about?"

"I was in the park today, and some of Jason's men came up, threatened me." His fury was palpable.

Lucky, please. Not in front of the boys."

"You're not fit to have them." He stormed off, and she took a deep breath. How would Jason's men have known Lucky would be in the park?

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Spinelli grinned at Georgie as she settled another pillow behind him on the sofa. "Ah, Compassionate One, the Jackal appreciates your kindness."

Smiling at him, Georgie sat down beside him. "I'm just glad you're okay. I was so scared when I saw all that blood."

He shrugged, unable to hide the wince of pain. "The evil ones were a bad shot, at least."

"No they weren't," Jason told him as he came into the living room. "They weren't trying to kill you. Just to warn me, and you, to stay out of it."

Spinelli paled. "Point taken, Stone Cold."

Jason grabbed his coat. "Stay in here. Georgie, if you leave, you need to let the guard walk you home."

She nodded as Jason strode out, turning to Spinelli. "He really cares about you, doesn't he?"

He nodded, "I'm his grasshopper."

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Sonny looked up as one of the guards escorted Sam into his living room. "What do you want, Sonny?" She asked coolly.

"You know,' He walked over, pouring himself a glass of juice, "I could understand that you were hurt when you and Jason broke up, that you felt betrayed when you found out about Elizabeth's son."

"Hurt?" She asked in disbelief. "You have no idea how much that hurt. How it felt to realize that he had been turning to Elizabeth, that he gave her a child after refusing to even think of having one with me. Hurt doesn't even begin to cover how I felt."

"I understand that. I understand why you slept with Lucky Spencer." He set down his glass, dark eyes on her. "But, what I don't understand is why you- you thought you could get away with betraying us to Trevor Lansing."

She stiffened, trying to think fast, "What do you mean?"

"I know exactly what you're up to. So does Jason. You've been meeting him at his hotel room. I assume you've been sleeping with him. And telling him what you know of our business." He stepped closer to her, his voice furious. "This is not a game, Sam. My pity for you is rapidly disappearing. So, you better understand exactly what I'm telling you. If Zacchara, Lansing, or his men find out one more thing from you, you're finished. Unlike Jason, I was willing to tolerate your revenge on Elizabeth, but this all ends now."

Sam opened her mouth to respond, stopping as she saw the expression on his face. She had played a dangerous game, and now, if she wasn't careful, she would pay the price.

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Jason leaned back at the desk in Sonny's office, lost in thought. It was all beginning to come together. They knew now that Sam had apparently given Trevor basic information about the docks, their business. Fortunately, she hadn't known much more than that.

Jason had a lead on several of the men, and had his own watching them, waiting to see what would happen.

He knew Johnny Zacchara had to be found. He had to be up to something. Why else would he be keeping a low profile in Port Charles?

There was a knock at the door, and the guard opened it, telling him Emily Quartermaine was there.

He nodded permission for them to send her in, getting to his feet.

-------------------------------------

Elizabeth walked across the docks, glad that Emily had volunteered to take the boys to the park. For some reason, she couldn't stop thinking of Lucky's accusations that Jason's men had threatened him. She just couldn't understand it. Jason didn't send men to deal with his personal issues. Sitting on a bench, she tried to relax, to enjoy her time to herself. Instead, her thoughts drifted once again to Jason, to the last time she'd seen him on the bridge, the pain in his eyes when they'd mentioned the boys. Now, Lucky wanted custody, of children that weren't his.

Leaning forward, she sighed. She just didn't know what to do anymore, and without Jason to talk to, it just seemed to be getting worse and worse.

Suddenly, a voice startled her out of her reverie, the voice deep, familiar. "Make it work, Trevor. It's a backstep, nothing more. We have to destroy Morgan before we can ruin Corinthos."

She looked up, staring at Johnny Zacchara in horror as he stood on the upper part of the docks, his eyes meeting hers, betraying only a heartbeat of surprise before his face went impassive.

-------------------------------------------

Emily surprised Jason by pushing a stroller into the office, and he stiffened as he realized she had Cameron and Jake with her. "What's wrong?"

"Oh, nothing. I told Elizabeth I'd watch the boys. She was so tired at work today."

Jason nodded, smiling down at Jake, as his son happily grinned at him, pulling at his sock.

"You can hold him," Emily said laughing, and she unbuckled Jake, handing him to Jason.

"He's gotten so big." He said quietly.

Emily watched her brother, frowning as she realized how much Jake looked like Jason. Suddenly, Jason looked up at her, "How is Elizabeth doing at Audrey's?"

Before Emily could respond, Cam finished his cookie, and looked up at them. "My Mommy's an angel."

Laughing, Emily asked, "What, sweetheart?"

He grinned at her, swinging his legs. "Mommy's an angel. Johnny said."

Jason froze, the smile fading from his face. He handed Jake to Emily, leaning down to Cam. "Who's Johnny, Buddy?"

"He played with me at the park."

"Jason, I've met him. He's just a friend Elizabeth met when she lost her wallet."

Jason grabbed photos of his desk, stills from the hotel. "Is this him?"

"Well, he- yes. What's going on?"

Jason grabbed the keys to his bike, flipping open his cell phone. 'Where is she, Emily?"

"I don't know. She just said she was going to take a walk on the way home, try to relax a bit." She grabbed his arm, "Jason, what's going on?"

"That's Johnny Zacchara."

She looked at him with dawning horror, terrified for Elizabeth.

"Stay here," He ordered. "Don't leave, or let the boys out of your sight until Sonny or I get back."

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Sonny answered his phone absently, looking over photos of Zacchara's men.

"The angel was Elizabeth. He's been after Elizabeth all this time." Jason's voice was almost frantic, and Sonny knew he was thinking of the way he'd walked away from Elizabeth, sure that she and her sons would be safer without him.

"Allright. We'll find her. Did you call some of the men?" Sonny asked as he stood up, grabbing his coat.

"Yeah. They're out. She was going to walk home."

"I'm on my way."

--------------------------------------------

Elizabeth stared at Johnny, backing up as he came down the steps, still on the phone. "Send some men to the docks," he told Trevor, than snapped the phone shut. "I'm sorry you had to hear that," he said quietly.

"Why did you lie to me?" She whispered.

"Because I needed you to trust me. Needed the chance to be alone with you and your sons."

"Why?" She stood behind the bench, hurt and angry. "Why me? Why not Emily, or someone else?"

Johnny slid the phone into his pocket. "Because you're the one that Jason is in love with. Because your son is his only child." At the look of surprise on her face, he laughed. "Elizabeth, you of all people must be aware how much Jake looks like Jason. And he made the mistake of withdrawing your protection, thinking it would trick us into believing he no longer cared about you and your sons."

"You've made a mistake, though. My sons aren't here."

He shrugged, "That's not a concern. You were the primary target. Your sons were just a bonus."

Anger began to flare through her. "A bonus? One point if you kill me, Two points of you kill my sons?"

"I don't want to kill you." His voice was calm. "That was my original goal. I meant to do it in the park that day. But," He paused, then said, "Somehow I decided it wasn't necessary to kill you. I actually felt sorry for you. A single mother, struggling on her own as her lover walks away, her husband cheats on her."

"Then what were you planning to do with us?"

"Make you disappear. Take you to somewhere, and let Morgan think you were all dead."

"And now?" She reached into her jacket pocket, grabbing the small can of mace.

"Now, I'm afraid you'll have to leave your boys behind. But, I'm sure Morgan will claim them, and your friend Emily can help her brother." He reached out for her as several of his men appeared on the docks. "I'm truly sorry it has to be that way."

She pushed away from him, running towards the stairs, spraying two of the men in the eyes as they came near her. A third caught her, squeezing her hand tightly until she dropped the mace. She tried to pull away, and his grip tightened painfully.

Johnny walked up, "What a feisty little angel you are. But, enough. Any more of that, and you'll have to pay the price, Elizabeth."

----------------------------------------------------

Sonny called Jason from the hotel. "She's not here. Trevor claims he doesn't know where Zacchara's at."

Pulling up towards the docks, Jason told him, "Keep on him. He knows something."

Sonny nodded to one of his men, smiling as they punched Lansing in the stomach. He leaned down, "Are you sure you don't want to tell me where he is, Trevor? I can happily do this all night."

---------------------------------------------------

Jason shut off his bike, frowning as he heard the distant sound of voices of the docks. Suddenly, he could hear Elizabeth's voice clearly. "I'm not going with you. I won't leave my boys."

He quietly walked towards the docks, listening.

"You don't have a choice, Elizabeth," a man told her coolly. "Either you leave with me, or you die here. And then your sons will never have a chance to see you again."

Jason peeked around the corner. Elizabeth was being held by a burly guard, her arms pinned behind her back as she struggled. Zacchara was in front of her, holding her chin in his hand. "You know," Johnny added conversationally, "I can see why Morgan would be in love with you. You're feisty, beautiful, loyal, and a wonderful mother. Too bad he didn't protect you like he should have."

Elizabeth wrenched her chin away, catching a glimpse of a leather coat by the edge of the docks. She immediately looked back at Johnny with a cool expression. "How are you planning to get me away from Port Charles?"

Jason watched her, then looked around. Two men were standing near the bench, their eyes watering badly. Another held Elizabeth, and one more stood near the stairs. Johnny stood in front of Elizabeth.

He waited a moment, then moved quietly along the top of the docks, his gun cocked and ready.

The guard at the stairs saw him first, and began firing as Jason ducked, shooting back. Elizabeth began to push against the guard, kicking back with her legs as Johnny spun around, a cold smile on his face as he watched Jason Morgan, face to face with his nemesis for the first time. Jason ducked behind a post, leaning out to fire once more, and he hit the guard right in the chest. Johnny grabbed Elizabeth from the guard, holding her tightly as the man moved forward with the others, their shots wild due to their blurry, painful eyes.

"I should have known," he told Elizabeth, keeping her back. "After all, I've heard more than enough about Morgan's heroics for his lovely Elizabeth."

Jason injured the other two guards, their yells of pain a clear indicator they still lived. Then, he and the final guard began to shoot, Jason moving behind another post, before kneeling low, Aiming quickly. He fired once, before the guard had a chance to get another shot off, and the man fell in what seemed like slow motion.

Mac raced around the corner, Lucky closely behind him, stopping as they realized what was happening.

No longer smiling, Johnny shoved Elizabeth towards the ground in front of him, pulling out his gun. "I would think before you shoot, Morgan. Or a bullet will end up in her pretty head." He smirked, "And then your son will be motherless, poor little thing."

Jason looked at him coldly, no trace of emotion crossing his face. His gaze never left Zacchara's, never looked down at Elizabeth on her knees on the docks. "It's over, Zacchara. You aren't going to walk away from here."

"Really?" Johnny raised his gun, firing at Jason even as Jason ducked to the side. Elizabeth grabbed for the gun on the ground in front of her, falling onto her stomach, and rolling over. She aimed as Johnny shot at Jason again, fired. And the dock went suddenly silent as Johnny looked at her, stunned, his hands going up to clutch at his chest before he stumbled, falling to the ground.

Elizabeth didn't move, her hands shaking, the gun still pointed in the air, still on her back on the docks. As Mac and Lucky rushed down, Jason went to her, removing the gun, pulling her into his arms as she shook. "You're okay now. We're allright."

She pulled back, cupping his face with her hands, tears streaming down her pale cheeks. "I thought he would kill you. I couldn't bear to lose you."

"I know," He kissed her forehead, thinking how close he'd come to losing her.

Lucky stood over them, his voice cold. "You'll need to go in for questioning, both of you. And what did he mean by "your son," Jason?"

They looked at each other, but before they could respond, Diane's voice cut through the docks, walking up with Sonny. "This is clearly self defense. If you would like to question my clients, about anything," she added looking at Lucky coolly, "You'll have to wait until they've been checked by a doctor."

Sonny grinned, raising his eyebrows at Jason as Diane and Mac began to argue. Elizabeth whispered to Jason, her hand on his face, "It's time we tell the truth, Jason. I don't want to try to live without you anymore."

He nodded, leaning his forehead against hers. As dangerous as his life was, he couldn't bear the idea of losing his family again. He pulled back, looking down at her before he leaned in to give her a deep kiss.

The End


End file.
